Terror journey: School bus driver Tia Denton carried out her afternoon shift while three times over the drink-driving limit, Columbus, Ohio police say

'She's going to kill us!' screamed terrified children as their school bus driver sped through city streets while nearly three times over the limit, police and witnesses said.

Tia Denton, 51, told police that she had drunk two beers and a 'tall cup' of whisky before setting off for her afternoon shift driving pupils home in Columbus, Ohio.

Parents waiting for their children could only watch as she sped straight past stops and up and down the wrong streets after she took charge of the youngsters from Southwood Elementary on Monday afternoon.

One concerned grandmother searching for her three grandchildren, who were about an hour late, found Denton's bus idling at a corner with its stop sign out and hazard lights flashing.

'She said, "I’m not an hour late." She said, "I don’t have your kids on my bus." My granddaughter had walked to the front of the bus by that time,' said Ms Hass.

She described how Denton had incredibly asked the other children still aboard the bus, none of whom were older than 12, which way to go next.

Ms Hass went on: 'I asked my grandchildren if they were OK. They said they were scared, they were nervous. I said, "Where have you been?" (They) said, "We don’t know. We’ve been all over the place."'

Concerned, she decided to follow the bus as it continued its erratic journey through the neighbourhood, still with its hazard lights flashing, its stop sign extended, and several terrified children still on board.

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It was then, Ms Hass said, that youngsters sitting at the back of the vehicle rolled down the window and screamed, 'She's going to kill us! She's going to kill us!' - prompting the grandmother to call 911.

A second call to the police was made by Columbus school district officials after Denton failed to answer radio calls.

Southwood Elementary School: Denton has been suspended without pay and must face a hearing on December 2 to see if she will keep her job. She also faces a DUI as well as two other charges

Police say that when officers finally managed to reach the school bus, Denton was unsteady on her feet, slurring her speech and reeked of liquor. She was also carrying a bottle of Canadian Mist, police said.

Blood tests showed she was nearly three times over the drink driving limit.

Denton has been suspended without pay and must face a hearing on December 2 to see if she will keep her job.

She also faces a charge of driving under the influence which, if it sticks, will disqualify her from working as a school bus driver in Ohio. She also faces child-endangering and open-container charges, the Dispatch reports.

School district spokesman Jeff Warner said no-one had ever complained about Denton's driving in the past. He added that no children got off at the wrong stop and no-one was hurt.

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'She's going to kill us': What schoolchildren screamed as three-times over the limit bus driver careered off route and through Ohio streets in hour-long terror journey